Gasket



pril 20? i948. E. K. CLARK 2,439,923

GASKET Filed Oct. 2l, 1943 Fjz. wrrNEssEs; t L7 v INVENToR QJ fa f/ /c ya r.

ATTORNEY Patented pr. 20, 19

GASKET Earl is. Clark, Mansileld, Ghia, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa.. a corporation oi Pennsylvania application octoberzuiois, sei-inno. 507,124 4 claims. (ci. 28s-23) My invention relates to improvements in apparatus used in conjunction with bombs or projectiles that are to be photoelectrically or electronically exploded and, more particularly, relates to gasket ci special construction.

In projectiles that are to be exploded electrically, a battery compartment is disposed below an amplifier compartment. A group of terminais from the amplifier compartment extend into` a terminal receiving plate. It is important that in the assembly of the units a liquid-tight seal is provided, that proper circuit connections are made and that the sealing means do notinteriere with the assembly oi other elements.

One object of my invention is the provision of a sealing gasket between two facing plates and a surrounding housing contacting the perimeters ci both plates. l

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following specincation and the accompanying drawing. in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my novel gasket;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the gasket taken on section line II-II of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows at the end oi. the section line; and

Figs. 3, d, 5, and 6 show four stages in the assembly of' th'e elements with which my gasket coacts.

The gasket G- is circular and in the shape of a ring and consists essentially of three parts, an maar part i. an outer channeled part 2, an intermediate flat part t. The inner part vhas a given axial depth from the top plane P normal to the gasket axis to the lower plane P' parallel to plane P. In an actual bomb under construction, this depth when the gasket is unstessed is .16 inch.

The outer channeled part 2 has a lesser depth than the inner part. The inner and outer parts are joined by the nat part 3. The iiat part has its upper fiat surface falling in plane P, but the outer partis so connected and integrally formed with' the rest of the gasket that its crest or lowerand that upper-- most region falls above plane P' most region at its edge portion E falls below plane l?. The thickness of the gasket is substantially uniform throughout except for the portion from the crest of channeled part 2 to the outermost circumference of edge portion t. The thickness of this latter portion decreases to slightly greater than half the general thickness of the gasket.

The gasket in its nal position is in the shape shown in Fig. 6 and thus provides a seal between the fuse can 6, the terminal receiving block 1 or the batteries forming part of this weapon and the lower portion 8 of the terminal plate d of the ampliiler housing.

In the type of weapon under consideration, it is important that suitable connection be made between the amplifier and the batteries which are respectively disposed in housings t and it. The iirst function of this gasket member, that of providing a' minimum pressure seating the components against the bottom of their container, is provided by both the inner and outer channel members. The greatest percentage of this longitudinal pressure, namely, the pressure in the direction of the gasket axis, is provided by the outer panel member or part when all the parts are assembled, and the gasket is conned laterally by the inside surface of the container or can t; as shown in Fig. 6. A battery member or terminal receiving block l, however, is placed against the terminal plate comprising elements 8 and 9, and the terminals il engage prior to the complete assembly of the unit, as shown in Fig. 3, wh'ere the terminals Ii have already entered the block l ahead of the appearance of the container edges housing the battery as the container is moved vertically with reference to the amplifier housing lil. In this operation, it is very probable that the battery will be pushed against the gasket with sumcient pressure that the outside part as 2 will be extended radially beyond the diameter cf th'e lower container 6, as shown in Fig. 4; thus preventing the container 6 from being slipped into place. i To prevent this from happening, the inner channel member which is higher than the. outer channel member is effective earlier in the assembly operation, that is, during the movement of blocks l towards plate tl and is deformedend moved radially inwardly through a greater distance or longer range. The inner channeled part thus provides a sumcient force in the axial direction to move the battery on th'e contact pins or terminals l, that is, move the terminal block 'l sufficiently so that the parts hold the position shown in Fig. 5. The outermost circumference of the outer channeled part is thus retracted radially inwardly a sufficient amount as to permit the upper edge of container t to move over the amplifier housing i0. In other words, the gasket G is made selfecorrecting in the sense that it will position the batteries and the terminal block for the batteries properly to permit assembly of the two containers 6 and l0, even though the operator may carelessly during assembly push it to a. position where the can 6 could not be placed on the amplifier housing i0.

, between the amplier housing I and the container E, not shown, will compress both channeled parts l and 2, and in so compressing the gasket, the edge portion oi the outer channeled part will move radially outwardly to firmly engage the inside surface of the container 6, thus forming a moisture-tight seal. It is during this cycle or stage oi assembly where the outer ange is partly confined and the longitudinal pressure of this outer flange combined with that of the inner ange will properly seat the battery and switch components against the bottom of the container 6. It is important that the elements contained in the conalner 6 be rmly seated at the bottom of the container when assembled because in use, these units are subjected to an average acceleration in the direction of the nose of the fuse of approximately 500 times the force of gravity, and it is important that no movement take place between these members during the time that this accelerating forc is applied.

I have thus provided a gasket of extremely low cost, one that may be easily assembled and provides both an initial compression for properly positioning the components G, l, and 8 relative to each other and provides for a moisture-tight seal preventing any moisture from getting into the battery compartment, that is, container E, or the amplifier compartment I0. Furthermore, this type of resilient member completely eliminates the possibility of microphonics during periods of severe acceleration which could be present if a metallic resilient member were used in place of my gasket. Furthermore, a metallic member while probably properly positioning the elements would provide no water-tight seal, which sealing eiect has to be accomplished by some other means.

During the assembly, the fiat portion i2, or for that matter the matching annular region on the plate 8, is provided with a suitable adhesive and a gasket is positioned against the plate'8, as shown in Fig. 3. No special means are thus needed to hold the gasket in proper position during the assembly of containers 6 and l0. Both the inner and outer channeled parts I and 2 are in this way left free for the desired displacement or deformation thereof which occurs during asseinbly of the apparatus, as just explained.

The feathering or thinning of the outer edge portion 5 effectively helps to provide the necessary seal since the material is not bulky in this region and is thus not likely to form any folds.

While I have shown a gasket having a particular shape, I do not wish to be limited to the exact that oi' said outer U-shaped'portion. and adhesive means for securing said intermediate annular ilattened portion oi the gasket to one of said ilat members whereby upon assembly oi said elements said U-shaped portions of the gasket are free for expansion, said outer U-shaped portion being expandible into sealing relationship with all three ofsaid members.

2..An annular exible gasket made of resilient non-metallic material comprising an outer annular V-shaped portion having a shortened and tapered outer wall, an annular flat portion extending inwardly from the inner wall of said V- shaped portion. and an inner annular V-shaped portion o! greater depth than that of said outer V-shaped portion and extending inwardly from said flat portion, said outer V-shaped portion being thereby disposed between a plane at the annular crest of said outer V-shaped portion and a plane common to the innermost edge thereof and the outer face of said at portion of the gasket.

3. An annular rubber-like gasket having a sectional shape substantially in the form of the number three, comprising an inner annular V- shaped portion having an outer wall terminating in an annular fiat portion in a plane normal to the axis of the gasket, and a somewhat smaller annular V-shaped portion extending outwardly from said at portion within the outside dimensions of the first mentioned V-shaped portion, said gasket being yieldable to permit deformation of said V-shaped portions into the plane of said fiat portion under pressure applied to opposite faces of said gasket, said inner il-shaped portion being adapted to oier a predetermined resistance to the deforming pressure prior to initial deformation of said smaller V-shaped portion.

4. An annular rubber-like gasket having a sectional shape substantially in the form of the number three, comprising an inner annular V- shaped portion having an outer wall terminating in an annular fiat portion in a plane normal to the axis of the gasket, and a somewhat smaller annular V-shaped portion extending outwardly from said fiat portion within the outside dimensions of the first mentioned V-shaped portion, said gasket being yieldable to permit deformation of said V-shaped portions into the plane of said fiat portion under pressure applied to opposite faces of said gasket, said inner v-shaped portion being adapted to offer a predetermined resistance to the deforming pressure prior to initial deformation of said smaller V-shaped portion, and the last-mentioned V-shaped portion having an annular margin of reduced thickness which is uniformly expansive outwardly under the final deiorming pressure.

EARL K. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

file of this patent:

A UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,026 Walker Aug. 18, 1891 I 480,643 Welsh Aug. 9, 1892 843,394 Haynes Feb. 5, 1907 1,313,129 Smith Aug. 12, 1919 1,336,828 Edwards Apr. ,13, 1920 1,516,397 Mueller Nov. 18, 1924 1,721,326 Wilson July 16, 1929 

